1. Field
The subject invention is in the field of switching which controls electric lights to turn them on and off and/or adjust their brightness. In particular it is in the field of switching control for electric lights used in automobiles and trucks.
2. Prior Art
It is recognized that there is much prior art in this particular field, patented and not. In some vehicles the headlights and parking lights are controlled by a switch having a knob which is pushed and pulled and by a lever controlled switch on the steering column. Pulling the push-pull switch out to a first stop lights the parking lights. Pulling it to a second stop keeps the parking lights lit and lights the headlights with their beams directed in the so-termed "low beam" mode. The lever is used to switch the headlights to the high beam mode and back to the low beam mode. In other vehicles the control switch for the parking lights and headlights is a knob, turnable on the end of the lever. It is well recognized that it is a courteous and a safe practice when driving with headlights in the high beam mode, to switch them to the low beam mode when approaching oncoming vehicles. There is increasing recognition, in Japan for example, that it is also courteous and in the interest of safety to turn off the headlights of vehicles when approaching and stopping at intersections to greatly diminish the interference with the vision of drivers and occupants of vehicles approaching the intersection from the oncoming direction and stopping. Once the lights are off, however, it is highly important that they be turned on again as the vehicles cross the intersection. Experience has shown that turning the lights on again is quite often neglected until the need for the illumination is recognized and often urgent. Manually turning the lights on and off is inconvenient and neglecting to turn them on again is definitely unsafe, involving more risk than leaving them on at the intersection. Accordingly, the prime objective of the subject invention is to provide a switching control system which automatically turns off a vehicle's headlights as it slows down and stops at an intersection. A second objective is that the switching control system also automatically turns the headlights on again as the vehicle starts and gains speed. Another objective is that the switching control be simple and economical to implement as original equipment and as retrofit equipment.